Animated Rain Tutorial

[DarkShock]

This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it

:!: You will need the UnFreez Program for this. You may use any GIF image animation program you want, but I'm using UnFreez in this tutorial. There is also a GIF Animator plug-in available here on the forum.

I will be working with this image:

And I will finish with this:

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1. Open up your image. If you are working with a project already with more than one layer than it would be smart to flatten all of them File > Open or Control + O

2. Duplicate your background / original image twice (making three identical layers) 2x Layers > Duplicate Layer or Control + Shift + D

3. Add three new layers. Fill all of the three new layers white. 3x :AddNewLayer: Layer > Add New Layer or Control + Shift + N

4. This part might sound a little tricky. Set your layers in an order so that each white layer is on top of one of the three background layers. To do so, select a white layer and move them down by pressing the blue down button on the layers window. If you moved it too far down than simply select the blue up button on the layers window to move it up to the correct location.

Example:

5. On the top white layer select "Add Noise" and set the Intensity to 50 and the Color Saturation at 0. [The intensity determines how much rain you get. The lower the intensity, the less rain and the other way around for a high intensity] :AddNoise: Effects > Noise > Add Noise

6. Do step 5 to the other two white layers. :AddNoise: Just go to the other white layers and hit Control + F to use the last used effect

7. Go back to the top white layer and select "Motion Blur" and set the angle to -55.00 degrees and the distance at 10 pixels. Make sure that the center box it checked. This step determines which direction the rain will fall. :MotionBlur: Effects > Blur > Motion Blur

8. Do step 7 to the other two white layers. :MotionBlur: Just go to the other white layers and hit Control + F to use the last used effect

9. *This step is only if you want your rain to have color. If you want the rain to stay black than skip this step.* On your top layer select Adjustments > Sepia or Control + Shift + E :Sepia: . Then go to Adjustments > Curves or Control + Shift + M :Curves: and have it set to something like this:

*this is if you want your rain to be blue*

Note: The "Curves +" plug-in will work just as fine.

10. *Skip this step if you don't want colored rain.* Do step 9 to the other white layers. Just go to the other white layers and apply the sepia and curves color change. Don't use Control + F because it will apply that last used effect which should be motion blur.

11. Set the blending mode of all your rain layers (original white layers) to Multiply. You can do this by going to the layer's properties. :Properties: Layers > Properties, F4, or click the far right button on the bottom of the layer window

12. Now merge each rain layer into a the background layer that is below it. (Make sure not to merge any of the original layers into a rain layer) :MergeDown: Layers > Merge Layer Down, Control + M, or click the middle button on the bottom of the layers window

  

Before------------------------------------------------------------After

13. Now copy the bottom layer and make it and image by it self. Do the same thing with the other two layers. [Click Control + A to select the whole layer. Then click Control + C to copy the whole layer. Then click Control + Alt + V to make a new image out of the copied layer]

Example:

14. Save each of the separate layer images as a GIF. (I'll save mine as gif1, gif2, and gif3) Do not save the original image. It can't be saved as a GIF anyways since it's layered. Just leave it alone. You can even delete it now, but it would be wise to keep it if you messed up on an earlier step.

15. Open up the UnFreez program.

16. Drag the three GIF files in the right order into the program. Click the "Make Animated Gif" button.

17. Choose the save location of the GIF file and name your file. Let UnFreez work its magic.

Do not attempt to open the new animation in Paint.net and then save it because it will freeze the animation.

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Here is the result:

Okay, so maybe this tutorial wasn't quick.

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Edited March 21, 2019 by Woodsy
rehost to Postimage thanks to ReMake, add PDF

[Frenzy]

THIS TUTORIAL RULES MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

[DarkShock]

THIS TUTORIAL RULES MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

I appreciate your comment. I originally intended it to be short.

I'm glad you like it. :wink:

[rayaquaza]

MUAHAHAHAHAHA

[DarkShock]

MUAHAHAHAHAHA

Nice. Did you follow the tutorial?

[Rostigalen]

This looks really good. I thought when I saw the head line that it would be more like big sized raindrops, but this is really neat.

[DarkShock]

This looks really good. I thought when I saw the head line that it would be more like big sized raindrops, but this is really neat.

Thanks. I first learned how to make a rain image in GIMP, but then I found out you can use UnFreez and then I kind of make a PdN way of making a rain image.

[Hellfire010]

Very nice. ^_^

[rayaquaza]

yeah, i followed the guide.

I used the windows desktop image for lack of a better one. =p

[007 Nab]

Hey- great job on the tut--

It's been done before, but I like how you wrote it- cool ex pic too!

[DarkShock]

Hey- great job on the tut--

It's been done before, but I like how you wrote it- cool ex pic too!

Oh so it has been done before. Thanks for your comment. :wink:

[QuwenQ]

It is a very neat tutorial, but it doesn't really seem to be "raining", just some random changing noise. =P

Sorry, but it is a neat effect! So, 7/10.

[TheVoid]

Very nice, 8/10. :wink:

[QuwenQ]

I changed the method a little bit and used Paneling to make the rain move instead of just random noise:

[007 Nab]

Yeah Dark Shock-

http://paintdotnet.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1288

(I realize in the tut it isn't animated- I couldn't find the other one :? )

QuwenQ- I like your method too- [offtopic] and your avatar is awesome (PDN made?)

[DarkShock]

To QuwenQ: that's pretty good. The rain doesn't look to intense.

[DarkShock]

Yeah Dark Shock-

http://paintdotnet.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1288

Is that animated though?

[Quenlin]

I'm one step closer to my planned masterpiece, Queen of Anarchy and Queens of Storm.

[Rainshadow]

I <3 this tutorial. Its totally AWESOME!

[Hellfire010]

I tried to make the water ripple a little with dents, but it didn't show up too well. :\

Still came out good, methinks.

[DarkShock]

I <3 this tutorial. Its totally AWESOME!

Wow. Thanks. I"m glad you like it.

[staker]

one word: WOW

really nice i should check it out sometime. when i'm not on school

[Merijn]

I'm on the same school as Staker at the moment, and I forgot to bring my MP3 player with PDN installed on it to school.

[verndewd]

Dewd this really is a cool tut.

[Merijn]

It IS a really cool tut, but a bit simple.